Five ways Ikea tricks you into buying more

Ikea has a few tricks up their sleeve that will see you not only see you spending more but they'll have you feeling good about it afterwards too.

In an article last week, "neuromarketeer" Tim Zuidgeest says it's subtle changes to the environment that can make you buy more.

"IKEA analyzes our behaviour for good reasons: the furniture giant wants to know the effect of subtle (and sometimes less subtle) changes in the environment on our buying behaviour,” Tim wrote.

Five ways Ikea tricks you into buying more

1 – They distract the kids

Småland is the perfect place for your kids to play while you shop. It also stops your little ones from distracting you.

2 – Remove any indication of time

Windows, clocks, light, they’ve removed it all. “Take away every indication of time, and you lose all sense of it. And suddenly you’ve spent more time wandering around than you’ve planned. Slowly filling up your basket in the meantime,” writes Tim.

3 – Free pencils and shopping lists

This is just what you need to remember everything you want to buy. Apparently, by writing it down, you're committing to the purchase.

4 – Small purchases to change your shopping mindset

The cheap candles, cute pots and whatever “nice to have items” you come across first are there for a reason. Tim says adding one of these to your basket changes your mindset. Instead of ‘whatshall I buy’, your brain has changed gear to buying mode. In buying mode, the strongest thought is: ‘what more should I buy?’"

5- Cheap food

The cheap restaurant gives the illusion that Ikea is also cheap. But it’s the $1 hot dog that you need to watch out for. When all those small purchases surprisingly add up to more than you wanted to spend, it’s the cheap snack at the end that will make you feel better.

"They’re well aware that it’s the last purchase that sticks around," writes Tim. "According to the ‘peak-and rule’ that’s the thing that sticks. The peak and the end."